Better Than Life

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your limitless love in Christ and endless power. Build my trust and my passion. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse: Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Verse of the day: Romans 1:20

20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 14-15 Luke 17:1-19 

Better Than Life

(Psalm 63:3 “Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.”)

One writer said this:

“Loving your enemy doesn’t earn you the reward of heaven. Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.”

Jesus said, “44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...”

Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus despised the shame of the cross-His physical suffering was literally killing Him-but He knew that He could not let His human feelings change anything that was happening to Him.

He concentrated on the joy of Heaven-being restored to His original glory and in doing so providing salvation for believers through the ages.

Part of that joy, I believe, is seeing the future of the believers who really ‘heard’ and learned how to love their enemies.

The fury of hate had attacked the body of Christ-mortal shame had attacked His emotions. Crushing emotions and His dying, physical body could not steal His joy nor keep Him from loving and forgiving His killers.

If Jesus had let His situation overcome His joy, we would now be hopeless. Treasuring His Heavenly reward empowered Him-His joy empowered Him to love and forgive His killers.

In John, Jesus said He would prepare our place and then come get us to be with Him-in His glory-in His complete eternal joy.

If and when we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with this great anticipation, I believe the Joy of Christ will make itself known in our consciousness and the world will see the reason Jesus died flowing out of our lives in forgiving and welcoming love.

Pray to get to that place with God in Christ.

...because He loves us...He will do it...

Father in Heaven,

I want to lift up Your name. I want to know Your Kingdom Joy and live it before the world. Forgive me for hate. Lead me away from hate.

Loving and forgiving God,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen